


The Rewards of Marking

by Celandine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: adventdrabbles, Ficlet, Gen, Teaching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-23
Updated: 2010-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-14 00:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/143184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/pseuds/Celandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Minerva marks essays, the first year that Harry attends Hogwarts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rewards of Marking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [neogrammarian](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=neogrammarian).



Minerva laid aside the marked essay, last from the fifth years. She yawned and stretched, opening her arms wide first, then pressing her knuckles to the small of her back and arching it. Pouring herself another cup of tea, she reached for the next tidy stack.

These had been written by the first years: Potter's class. She riffled through them, pulling one out and placing it at the bottom of the pile. This was only the third essay they had written for her, but she already knew that Miss Granger's would be thoroughly researched and competently written. Minerva preferred to save an essay that she expected to be excellent for the end, as a reward to herself. She also moved several that she anticipated being relatively poor to the top of the pile, to get them over with.

From Slytherin, Mr Crabbe and Mr Goyle: their essays barely reached the required foot, and that with enormous writing. Their explanations of the theory behind Transfiguring matchsticks into needles were just dissimilar enough that she didn't think they had cheated. She pulled out Mr Malfoy's essay to compare it, and nodded to herself. He had understood the ideas better, and doubtless explained to his less bright friends. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were more consistent, as usual. Some of the Ravenclaws' explanations were on the elaborate side, whereas the Hufflepuffs' tended to be plodding, but all were acceptable or better. Minerva read through them quickly, scratching comments with red ink as she went.

She could nearly always tell which students came from a Muggle background. The Wizarding world tended to be deficient in ensuring that all of its children had the educational basics down solidly before they attended Hogwarts. Wizarding parents were required to ensure that their children could read and write and do basic arithmetic, but many of them left it at that, which meant that the children's composition skills were often lacking. Mr Weasley was such a one. She had difficulty telling if the disorganization of his essay meant that he didn't fully understand the topic, or simply that his essay writing abilities were poor. Mr Potter, on the other hand, was a decent writer for his age, but still had difficulty grasping magical theory.

With a sigh of relief she reached Miss Granger's essay. As expected, it was for a first year a model of clarity. Miss Granger's remarks were well organized, thoughtful, and pertinent, and demonstrated a thorough understanding of the subject. Minerva allowed herself a sigh of relief. Every once in a while, a student whom she expected to do excellent work failed her. She recorded the marks, sorted out the essays alphabetically by name, and put them aside.

One more set before she finished tonight. She poured herself yet another cup of tea. After she finished with the fourth years' essays, she would reward herself with a small glass of fine Highland whisky, but until then she would make do with tea and a piece of her favourite buttery shortbread.

**Author's Note:**

> For neogrammarian, who left it totally up to me what to write.


End file.
